title: Autism: biomedical complementary treatment approaches.
abstract: This article provides a conceptual overview for the use of biomedical complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments for autism spectrum disorders. Pharmaceutical agents with published studies are briefly mentioned; but the focus of the article is on possible biomedical CAM treatments, the rationale for their use, and the current database of mostly preliminary studies regarding their safety and efficacy. Of the more than 50 treatments currently listed here and in use by eager families, 9 are reviewed in more detail because of their promise from preliminary research studies or because of public interest.
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Avenue, LP-360, San Francisco, CA 94143-0984, USA. Robert.Hendren@ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hendren
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015913:Chelation Therapy; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000379:methods*; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008550:Melatonin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008559:Memantine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D018977:Micronutrients; C019476:mecobalamin; D008550:Melatonin; D014805:Vitamin B 12; D008559:Memantine; D000111:Acetylcysteine